1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an emulator probe of an in-circuit emulator for supporting program development of a microcomputer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a prior art emulator probe. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a user target board on which a microcomputer 2 after completion of program development is mounted, 3 denotes a foot pattern provided on the user target board 1 for mounting the microcomputer, and 4 denotes a Lead Chip Carrier (LCC) socket having, on its under side, pin terminals 4a to be connected with the microcomputer mounting foot pattern 3 by soldering and having a microcomputer insertion portion 4b into which either the microcomputer 2 or a connector dedicated to probe 7 is inserted. On the microcomputer insertion portion 4b of the LCC socket 4, there are provided terminals electrically connected with the pin terminals 4a. Reference numeral 5 denotes a stiffening plate attached to the end of an emulator cable 6 and reference numeral 7 denotes a connector dedicated to probe provided on the under side of the stiffening plate 5 and adapted to be inserted into the microcomputer insertion portion 4b of the LCC socket 4 for exchanging electric signals between the emulator body (not shown) and the user target board 1.
Functioning of the above will be described below.
In the development of a program for a microcomputer 2, it is generally required to debug the designed program. Therefore, before the microcomputer 2 is directly mounted on the user target board 1, the emulator is mounted, instead of the microcomputer 2, on the user target board 1 to debug the designed program.
However, the emulator is used over again every time a program is designed. Therefore, in order to mount the connector dedicated to probe 7, which is connected with the emulator, on the user target board 1 without soldering it directly to the user target board 1, it is practiced to solder an LCC socket 4, instead of the connector dedicated to probe 7, to the user target board 1 and insert the connector dedicated to probe 7 into the microcomputer insertion portion 4b to thereby achieve the mounting of the emulator on the user target board 1.
Since the LCC socket 4 and the connector dedicated to probe 7 are particular to each emulator, they are generally produced by resin forming and hence their producing cost becomes considerably high.
Since prior-art emulator probes are structured as described above, the drawing direction of the emulator cable 6 is limited to one direction. Hence, when there is mounted a tall part in the vicinity of the LCC socket 4 in the direction in which the cable is led out, there arises a problem in that the connector dedicated to probe 7 cannot be inserted into the LCC socket 4 unless the emulator cable 6 is deformed.
Further, when the pin terminals 4a of the LCC socket 4 are soldered to the microcomputer mounting foot pattern 3, the pin terminals 4a are to be stretched outward in a radiating manner and in parallel with the user target board 1 and hence the microcomputer mounting foot pattern 3 must be provided extended outward from the LCC socket 4 by the length corresponding to the length of the pin terminals 4a. Accordingly, there arises a problem in that the area occupied by the microcomputer mounting foot pattern 3 becomes greater than the area occupied by the LCC socket 4 and, as a result, the packaging density on the user target board 1 is decreased.